Chapter Ten: Teasing

Even a clay figurine would lose its temper after being pestered repeatedly, let alone Lin Yang, who was urged time and again. Gazing at the strange look in Tiger's eyes, he couldn't help but think of something indecent, and the urge to kick the man was entirely natural. Silently cursing, "Dammit, what am I thinking? My preferences are perfectly normal," Lin Yang told Tiger to take off his pants—not out of any malicious intent, but because the treatment demanded it. Tiger's current condition was perhaps the worst Lin Yang had ever encountered since he began practicing medicine.

The toxin in Tiger's lower leg, after years of spreading, had invaded his entire right leg. Frankly, if things didn't change, he'd lose the limb within a month. With no antidote yet discovered, and with the process of expelling the poison using vital energy being both a delicate and exhausting task, the reserves Lin Yang had accumulated would barely suffice. He estimated that it would take four or five sessions just to cleanse the poison thoroughly.

Under Lin Yang's insistent instructions, Tiger reluctantly removed his pants, looking for all the world like a shy bride forced into submission. Lin Yang said nothing more, crouched down, and began to channel his energy into Tiger's thigh, working the poison downward. His plan was to force all the toxin into the foot, bleed it out, and only then address the shattered bone fragments in Tiger's shin. The fragments, being so small, pressed on nerves and were partly to blame for the man's impaired mobility.

This course of treatment sounded simple, but was devilishly hard in practice. It took Lin Yang a full two hours just to force a small portion of the toxin into the foot, by which time his vital energy was completely spent for the first time. Beads of sweat rolled down his pale face, and his clothes were soaked through.

Tiger, sitting on the hospital bed, uncharacteristically kept silent—perhaps out of guilt at seeing Lin Yang's exhaustion. When Lin Yang finally collapsed, gasping for breath, Tiger attempted to help him up, but his own legs had gone numb from sitting too long. All he could do was ask, "Doctor Lin, are you alright?"

Cold Nini, who had been anxiously peering through the glass window in the door, burst recklessly into the operating room at the sight inside, rushing to Lin Yang's side and gathering him into her arms—utterly unconcerned with social taboos. "Yang, what's wrong? Don't scare me!" she implored.

"I'm fine," Lin Yang replied, his face ashen, lips pursed in a weak, cheeky smile. One couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for him; at that moment, he almost wished he could faint a few more times just to enjoy the comfort of a beauty's embrace. "How soft her chest is!" he thought, his mind drifting to thoughts no child should hear.

It took a full half-hour before Lin Yang could walk again. Glancing outside at the late hour, he turned to Tiger and said with a wry smile, "Looks like you'll have to make a few more trips to my humble abode."

"It's no trouble—thank you, Brother Yang," Tiger replied. With a fifth of the toxin now forced out, the improvement was obvious: the agonizing pain had lessened, and even his limp was less pronounced. Though elation filled his heart, Tiger, a man used to life's hardships, kept his composure. Remembering his previous words, he respectfully addressed Lin Yang as "Brother Yang."

"Tiger, don't. I was just trying to get a little payback for being upset before. Isn't there a saying, 'No fight, no friendship'? Besides, you're so much older than me; wouldn't that steal years from my life? I still have the important duty of finding a wife and carrying on the family line—I want to enjoy life a while longer."

The tense atmosphere vanished at Lin Yang's mischievous remarks.

Though he said little, Tiger had already come to regard Lin Yang as a true brother—unlike the fair-weather friends such as Su Xiaodong, who only cared about profit. After expressing his gratitude in a thousand ways, Tiger and Su Xiaodong finally left as twilight colored the sky. As soon as Lin Yang saw them off, his stomach began to protest. He realized that every time he depleted his vital energy, his hunger returned with a vengeance; it had been the same after treating Su Xiaodong's group, but this time it was even worse.

After a simple meal, Lin Yang drove Cold Nini back to his place. He had intended to help her find accommodation, but exhaustion overcame him—he barely had the strength to drive, let alone house-hunt. And so, naturally enough, the two spent the night together.

Lin Yang, poor fellow, was left wrestling with the sofa. The rented apartment was a cheap one-bedroom unit with a living room, bathroom, and kitchen. The bedroom, of course, was claimed by the pretty Cold Nini, who didn't seem to care if Lin Yang snuck into her bed at night; after all, they'd driven together, and Lin Yang, with little resistance to beautiful women, suffered greatly. The overflowing ashtray on the coffee table was evidence of his agitation.

"This won't do. Tomorrow, no matter what, I have to find this girl a place to stay—otherwise, I can't go on like this." Lin Yang leapt off the sofa, pouting in frustration. If it weren't for Tang Yixue serving as the final barrier in his heart, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't do something reckless.

He smoked who knows how many cigarettes before finally falling asleep.

With Tang Yixue busy with company affairs, Lin Yang hadn't seen her for days. Four days slipped by in a blink, during which he treated only minor injuries—nothing that required the use of his vital energy. For four days, he devoted himself tirelessly to Tiger's treatment, and it paid off. By the fifth day, the poison was nearly purged, and it was time for the surgery to repair the bone fragments. Everything went smoothly, just as planned. When Tiger could finally walk again, beaming with joy, Lin Yang's days of hardship came to a close.

On the second day, he was lucky enough to find Cold Nini a place to stay: the apartment upstairs had recently become available while the owner's wife was away for postpartum recovery. Had Cold Nini been forced to live alone elsewhere, Lin Yang would have worried; with her beauty, who knew how many crimes she might unwittingly provoke.

It was just after one in the afternoon when Tiger left, and Lin Yang, exhausted from five days of toil, decided to give himself a day off—Tiger was his only patient today.

Tiger had planned to take him to his nightclub for a night of debauchery, but the allure of pleasure was cut short by a call from Tang Yixue, whose timing was impeccable in ruining their plans.

Not having seen Tang Yixue in a while, Lin Yang was eager for their reunion. Finding an excuse to send Cold Nini home, he shamelessly drove his red Mercedes to the airport to pick her up. No wonder she hadn’t been seen lately—she’d been away on business.

A beauty like her drew every eye, especially in a revealing low-cut dress that showcased her stunning figure. It was no surprise that some looked at Lin Yang with envy or resentment; if looks could kill, he’d have died a dozen times over.

Seeing her dressed so provocatively, Lin Yang wondered if she understood the meaning of the word "cold."

"Yixue," he called out warmly as he hurried to greet her, gallantly taking her suitcase. Compared to the huge trunk he’d carried for Cold Nini, this was much lighter—likely just a few changes of clothes.

"My, you’ve lost weight in just a few days. Did you go out carousing while I was gone and nearly get drained dry by some woman?" Tang Yixue teased, running her hands over him in mock concern.

Lin Yang almost tripped over his own feet, glancing at her as if to make sure he hadn’t picked up the wrong person. He couldn’t believe that in just a few days, someone had taught the once-elegant Yixue to make such outrageous jokes.

Clearly delighted with her own mischief, Tang Yixue covered her mouth and laughed until she nearly caused a pile-up behind them.

“Damn it, can’t you drive? Never seen a beautiful woman before?” cursed a burly van driver behind them, who had almost rear-ended a Lamborghini that stopped suddenly. Fortunately, he had quick reflexes, or the accident would have cost him dearly.

Completely unconcerned, Tang Yixue pulled Lin Yang along as they chatted. Perhaps it was the long separation or the fatigue of recent work, but she was in high spirits and suggested they stop by a bar for a few drinks—after all, she had quite the capacity.

Lin Yang wasn’t much of a drinker, but he shamelessly agreed; who could refuse a beauty’s invitation?

The Dynasty Bar was a well-known chain, with several branches even in a mid-tier city like Jinhai—testament to its powerful backing. It was said that the Jiang Group held a significant share, reaping huge annual dividends; other major players often eyed it with envy and sometimes even stirred up trouble.

With a screech of brakes, they stopped at the entrance. As they prepared to enter, five young men—clearly thugs, drunk and rowdy—staggered out. One of them lewdly grabbed the hostess’s rear as they left, cackling obscenely.

The hostess, clearly intimidated, could only step aside. Anyone who could afford to drink at the Dynasty Bar was either a rich kid or a gangster—none to be trifled with.

Ordinarily, none of this would have concerned Lin Yang and Tang Yixue, but there are always some brazen fools who don’t know their place. Thus unfolded a classic scene of street punks harassing a respectable woman.

“Well now, where did this little beauty come from? Come have a drink with me—make me happy and I’ll shower you with cash,” leered the same thug, turning his drunken gaze on Tang Yixue as she was about to pass by.